The pitcher was Mike Kekich, and he openly admitted he grooved it so
Howard could hit a last one out;

Andy Sharp

John Welch wrote:
>
>
> One of the very few times he rooted for the opponent.
> Isn't there a thought that the Yankees pitcher (Fritz Peterson?)
> grooved one for Hondo, and Hondo thanked Thurman Munson when he
> touched home plate?
>
> John
>
> To: thewashingtonsenators@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:thewashingtonsenators%40yahoogroups.com>
> From: tbpsmd@... <mailto:tbpsmd%40smart.net>
> Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:56:00 -0400
> Subject: [The Washington Senators] Re: Washington Senators memories...
>
> I remember that Scooter was very upset that Washington had lost its team.
>
> Tim
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> Hello, Senators faithful,
>
> I listened to the last game over Yankees radio -- I lived and still
> live in
>
> NYC, having gone off to college in 1966.
>
> Aside from Howard's home-run (of course), I remember Phil Rizzuto
> going wild
>
> when Nats fans took over the field. He was, for once, almost speechless:
>
> "Huckleberries! They're taking the field apart!!!" Or something close.
>
> Regards,
>
> John
>
> To: thewashingtonsenators@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:thewashingtonsenators%40yahoogroups.com>
>
> From: jkrpn@... <mailto:jkrpn%40aol.com>
>
> Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:11:29 -0400
>
> Subject: Re: [The Washington Senators] Washington Senators memories...
>
> When I think of 1971 I remember going to see Vida Blue and the
>
> Oakland A's on opening day and how the NATS hammered them 8-0. Then
> going to
>
> see the A's and Nats again in May and watching Denny McClain get
> absolutely
>
> SHELLED by the A's....
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: bill gero <rebelyell1861@...
> <mailto:rebelyell1861%40yahoo.com>>
>
> To: thewashingtonsenators@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:thewashingtonsenators%40yahoogroups.com>
>
> Sent: Tue, 9 Oct 2007 9:29 pm
>
> Subject: Re: [The Washington Senators] Washington Senators memories...
>
> Art,
>
> I did not ask who was at the last game in 1971, I was asking about the
> last
>
> game @ RFK on Sept. 23 of this year. I was only 10 when the Senators left
>
> town in '71. I realy like the poem you posted. I'm going to print it,
> frame
>
> it amd hang it my office along side the rest of my Senators memorabilia.
>
> Thanks !!
>
> Bill Gero
>
> Art Audley <Aa3rt@... <mailto:Aa3rt%40comcast.net>> wrote:
>
> I was 15 years old when the Senators began play in the 1969 season,
>
> turning 16 in July. In researching my previous post, I had to rely on
>
> James R. Hartley's "Washington's Expansion Senators (1961-1971)" to
>
> fill in the blanks for some long-faded memories.
>
> (BTW-An excellent reference and a worthwhile addition to the baseball
>
> library for any Senators fan.)
>
> In response to Bill Gero's query about who was at the last game on Sep.
>
> 30, 1971-I was not among the faithful. I was away attending my first
>
> semester of college. The 1971 season is pretty much a blur to me-I'd
>
> graduated from high school in June and had numerous other things
>
> preoccupying me during that last, inglorious season. Things like girls,
>
> cars, preparing for college all being overshadowed by a very low draft
>
> number. I remember watching the news broadcast (in glorious black and
>
> white) of the last game and the forefeit-not believeing that there
>
> would be no more baseball in DC and that forefeit to the hated Yankees!!
>
> What a way for it to end!
>
> Anyhow, while researching my previous post, I found a clipping from the
>
> March 30, 1989 Washington Times that I'd tucked away in the Hartley
>
> book. It includes a poem written by a gentleman named Thomas Ponton.
>
> Mr. Ponton says that Sep. 30, 1971 was his 11th birthday and he was
>
> among the crowd who witnessed that final debacle. While I'm not a
>
> poetry fan by any means, I thought this item was special-hopefully some
>
> of you will enjoy it as well.
>
> "When the Senators Left Town" by Thomas Ponton
>
> When the Senators played, it always seemed sunny,
>
> And you could go to the park and not spend much money.
>
> There was Howard, Epstein, Pasqual, McMullen,
>
> Brinkman, Stroud, Unser, Tim Cullen,
>
> Coleman, Casanova, Bosman, Jim French,
>
> And Knowles and Grzenda would come off the bench.
>
> But the memories are jaded-my spirits are down,
>
> Since '71 when the Senators left town.
>
> To root for the team was like going to Confession,
>
> 'Cause they last time they won it was before the Depression.
>
> Sure there were chances but they went north with the Twins,
>
> And we were stuck with a new team that recorded few wins.
>
> >From the stands we'd all watch and seldom complain,
>
> Except when they traded for Denny McClain.
>
> We had our team spirit which nothing would drown,
>
> 'Til '71 when the Senators left town.
>
> Now Boston had a curse and Chicago the blues,
>
> But the Senators were the ones who knew how to lose.
>
> And we can recall that very last game,
>
> When the fans took the field--oh, what a shame!
>
> And Mike Kekich served up a gopher ball pitch,
>
> And Frank Howard slammed that son of a ------.
>
> In that moment they were special--a team of renown--
>
> 'Til the very next day when the Senators left town.
>
> So I look back and recall when we wore our red hats,
>
> And would cheer and drink beer and pull for the Nats.
>
> But my thoughts are now distant and hopeless they seem,
>
> For Angelos will surely block any new team.
>
> Maybe Collins will get lucky--let's hope he can do,
>
> And D.C. baseball will be back for a year, mybe two.
>
> But I continue to sit back with my ever-lastin' frown,
>
> For my childhood ended when the Senators left town.
>
> ---------------------------------
>
> Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user
> panel
>
> and lay it on us.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! -
>
> http://mail.aol.com <http://mail.aol.com>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare!
>
>
http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews
>
<http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews\
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> Messages in this topic (4)
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------
>
> __________________________________________________________
> Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare!
>
http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews
>
<http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews\
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>